Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is expected to return to play this week. Embiid's return could come as soon as Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Embiid has been out since January 30, when he was injured against the Golden State Warriors. After surgery on a torn meniscus, Embiid was given a six-to-eight-week timeline and he's coming back right around the eight-week mark.

Philadelphia has struggled without the reigning MVP in the lineup. The 76ers are 11-18 in the 29 games Embiid has missed over the last two months. That run has seen the Sixers drop to eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is two games behind the sixth-place Indiana Pacers for the East's final assured playoff spot. Both teams have seven games to play, with the Miami Heat nestled between them in seventh place, with eight games remaining.